![]() ![]() While EDMEC is just a paper design with no hardware, it is an indication of the art of the possible. ![]() EDMDEC would move at up to 4.5 mph, slow by the standards of wheeled vehicles but enough to keep up with troops on foot, and able to negotiate forests, rocky terrain and steep mountain trails which are tricky for wheels or tracks. This is a quadruped cargo carrier to carry food, ammunition and other equipment for an infantry unit. The paper describes a hypothetical new robot, the Exploratory Design for Mule-like Equipment Carrier, or EDMEC. carrier - but more efficient quadruped robots might do the job. Though popular with YouTube viewers, BigDog did not meet the requirements for a military load. Legged walkers could go down the same road. With better batteries and motors, they are increasingly competitive. Pusey refers to the dramatic improvements in efficiency in cars in the last few years as an example of how designs can be optimized.Ī few years ago, electric cars were impractical. “With the improvements with batteries or energy source density, as well as investigation into the increased efficiency through the use of optimized leg design and inclusion of passive spring elements in legs as well as spine, I believe the efficiency gap between mechanical and biological can be improved.” says Jason Pusey, a mechanical engineer on the ARL team. ![]() With the development of better materials which mimic the store-and-release cycle of animals, walker might start to catch up soon. And while most legged machines are highly inefficient, a few of the more advanced designs such as MIT’s Cheetah robot are comparable to wheels for efficiency. And of course legs do have advantages when crossing obstacles or steep slopes. ![]() This suggests that optimally designed – or evolved – walkers can match wheels or tracks. “We see a strong similarity between biological and artificial systems …organisms and artificial systems agree closely with the Heglund formula,” the researchers conclude. ![]()
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